POOR

hapless, miserable, misfortunate, pathetic, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, poor, wretched

(adjective) deserving or inciting pity; “a hapless victim”; “miserable victims of war”; “the shabby room struck her as extraordinarily pathetic”- Galsworthy; “piteous appeals for help”; “pitiable homeless children”; “a pitiful fate”; “Oh, you poor thing”; “his poor distorted limbs”; “a wretched life”

poor

(adjective) having little money or few possessions; “deplored the gap between rich and poor countries”; “the proverbial poor artist living in a garret”

poor

(adjective) lacking in quality or substances; “a poor land”; “the area was poor in timber and coal”; “food poor in nutritive value”; “the food in the cafeteria was of poor quality”

poor

(adjective) characterized by or indicating poverty; “the country had a poor economy”; “they lived in the poor section of town”

inadequate, poor, short, jejune

(adjective) of insufficient quantity to meet a need; “an inadequate income”; “a poor salary”; “money is short”; “on short rations”; “food is in short supply”; “short on experience”; “the jejune diets of the very poor”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Adjective

poor (comparative poorer, superlative poorest)

With no or few possessions or money, particularly in relation to contemporaries who do have them.

Of low quality.

Used to express pity.

Deficient in a specified way.

Inadequate, insufficient.

Free from self-assertion; not proud or arrogant; meek.

Usage notes

When the word "poor" is used to express pity, it does not change the meaning of the sentence. For example, in the sentence "Give this soup to that poor man!", the word "poor" does not serve to indicate which man is meant (and so the sentence expresses exactly the same command as "Give this soup to that man!"). Instead, the word "poor" merely adds an expression of pity to the sentence.

Synonyms

• (with no or few possessions or money): See Thesaurus:impoverished

• (of low quality): inferior

• (to be pitied): pitiable, arm

Antonyms

• (with no or few possessions): rich, wealthy

• (of low quality): good

• (deficient in a specified way): rich

• (inadequate): adequate

Hyponyms

(Hyponyms of poor (adjective)):

• dirt poor

• house poor

• iron-poor

• land poor

Noun

poor pl (plural only)

(with "the") Those who have little or no possessions or money, taken as a group.

Anagrams

• poro-, roop

Source: Wiktionary

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Poor, a. [Compar. Poorer (; 254); superl. Poorest.] Etym: [OE. poure or povre, OF. povre, F. pauvre, L. pauper; the first syllable of which is probably akin to paucus few (see Paucity, Few), and the second to parare to prepare, procure. See Few, and cf. Parade, Pauper, Poverty.]

1. Destitute of property; wanting in material riches or goods; needy; indigent.

Note: It is often synonymous with indigent and with necessitous denoting extreme want. It is also applied to persons who are not entirely destitute of property, but who are not rich; as, a poor man or woman; poor people.

2. (Law)

Definition: So completely destitute of property as to be entitled to maintenance from the public.

3. Hence, in very various applications:

Definition: Destitute of such qualities as are desirable, or might naturally be expected; as: (a) Wanting in fat, plumpness, or fleshiness; lean; emaciated; meager; as, a poor horse, ox, dog, etc. "Seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill-favored and lean-fleshed." Gen. xli. 19. (b) Wanting in strength or vigor; feeble; dejected; as, poor health; poor spirits. "His genius . . . poor and cowardly." Bacon. (c) Of little value or worth; not good; inferior; shabby; mean; as, poor clothes; poor lodgings. "A poor vessel." Clarendon. (d) Destitute of fertility; exhausted; barren; sterile; -- said of land; as, poor soil. (e) Destitute of beauty, fitness, or merit; as, a poor discourse; a poor picture. (f) Without prosperous conditions or good results; unfavorable; unfortunate; unconformable; as, a poor business; the sick man had a poor night. (g) Inadequate; insufficient; insignificant; as, a poor excuse. That I have wronged no man will be a poor plea or apology at the last day. Calamy.

4. Worthy of pity or sympathy; -- used also sometimes as a term of endearment, or as an expression of modesty, and sometimes as a word of contempt. And for mine own poor part, Look you, I'll go pray. Shak. Poor, little, pretty, fluttering thing. Prior.

5. Free from self-assertion; not proud or arrogant; meek. "Blessed are the poor in spirit." Matt. v. 3. Poor law, a law providing for, or regulating, the relief or support of the poor.

– Poor man's treacle (Bot.), garlic; -- so called because it was thought to be an antidote to animal poison. [Eng] Dr. Prior.

– Poor man's weatherglass (Bot.), the red-flowered pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis), which opens its blossoms only in fair weather.

– Poor rate, an assessment or tax, as in an English parish, for the relief or support of the poor.

– Poor soldier (Zoöl.), the friar bird.

– The poor, those who are destitute of property; the indigent; the needy. In a legal sense, those who depend on charity or maintenance by the public. "I have observed the more public provisions are made for the poor, the less they provide for themselves." Franklin.

Poor, n. (Zoöl.)

Definition: A small European codfish (Gadus minutus); -- called also power cod.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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